The present invention relates to a sealing adaptor for use with a interchangeable transducer for use within a wet environment transducer housing.
Some high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducers have limited life span because of the high power levels that may tax their physical construction. These transducers degrade and fail for a variety of reasons much faster than transducers used in other medical fields (like diagnostic ultrasound, or other low power applications). Transducers designed for therapeutic ultrasound applications delivering therapeutic power levels may suffer de-lamination of their metallization layers, pitting or physical destruction of the transducer caused by cavitation or thermal effects from exposure to very high temperatures.
To combat some of these side effects of HIFU operation, system designs may use HIFU transducers below the threshold where damage may occur to the transducer itself. Other systems use water baths with degassed circulating water, or design their therapy regimens with long intervals between therapy pulses. These extended pauses between pulses produce a low pulse repetition frequency (PRF) allowing the transducer to cool, and negative effects in tissue to dissipate.
Unfortunately, some therapy regimen require HIFU with a higher PRF, or continuous operation of the transducer for certain lengths of time that preclude low PRF operation. These higher PRF and/or continuous wave (CW) style regimen are desirable when the treatment is designed to maximize the amount of tissue destruction to be achieved in a certain period of time. In these types of operations, transducer degradation necessitates a frequent replacement of the HIFU transducer. Replacement is made difficult in that the transducers are generally expensive and delicate components, so handling the transducers is usually kept to a minimum. Further more, transducers in therapeutic medical systems are often imbedded into large bulk chambers filled with water, or attached in a manner that precludes easy removal and replacement of the transducer. The transducer environment may contain water, which should not be permitted to mix with the system electronics. The presence of water during a transducer exchange can make the replacing of a transducer messy and difficult. Once the transducer is replaced, water may linger between the electrical connectors between the system and the new transducer. System performance may be degraded due to electrode corrosion or signal cross-talk among the conduction paths caused by the presence of water or other fluids.
Thus it would be desirable to provide a transducer connector, or connecting means, that provides an easier method of removing and connecting transducers to a medical ultrasound device that is compatible with the demands of a wet environment, and capable of handling all system requirements without degradation in performance.
Thus it is an objective of the present invention to provide a connectorized transducer that can be connected to a therapy head or medical system with as few steps as practical, while preserving the environmental conditions of the connection.
Another objective is a connection that has a high reliability and ease of use, to promote a user friendly procedure for removing and/or installing transducers in the medical system.
Yet another objective is to provide a transducer that provides various features and operation parameters to expand or broaden the type of transducers a user may connect with the medical system.
Still another objective is a transducer that possesses the necessary driving electronics particular to their designed features, so as to reduce the required programming and electronics of the main system.
Still another objective is to provide a simple disposal path for used components.
Still another objective is a sealing device for electrical signal isolation or electrical connector isolation in a wet environment.